Crestwood opens mental health clinic

An affiliate of Hillside Family of Agencies, the Crestwood Center is one of five Western New York outpatient providers to win startup funds under a state Office of Mental Health initiative to embed mental health clinics in primary care offices.

The OMH initiative stems from research showing that a relatively small number of patients with undertreated chronic ills accounts for a disproportionately high percentage of medical costs and that a high number of such patients also have behavioral health issues that can complicate treatment of their medical conditions.

The Crestwood facility is staffed for some 15 hours a week with a part-time clinician and a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Crestwood officials hope to expand staff to one or two full-time clinicians.